MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGISTS (NPC)
The National Committee of Members hereby give notice of an online
Special General Meeting of Members to be held on
24 August 2024 at 10:00
The meeting will be conducted using GoToWebinar.
Purpose
Since the end of the 2019 Covid Pandemic there has been a decline in revenue received from CPD events. The surplus income from CPD events has in the past greatly subsidised the Membership Fee income, resulting in a steady cashflow for the Institute, regardless of late payments of membership Fees. Unfortunately, this is not the case anymore.
Membership fees are invoiced annually by the Institute in October and needs to be paid by 31 December of the year preceding the membership year (01 January – 31 December)– that means that the 2025 fees need to be paid by 31 December 2024. A grace period was introduced years ago allowing members to pay their fees by latest 31 January of the membership year. If not done, a Member ceases then to be in good standing with the Institute and the Institute. The current Clause 5.4.1.3 reads as follow:
5.4.1.3 Where a member ceases to be in good standing with the Institute (fees are in arrears after 31 January of the financial year in which such application is received), the application for resignation shall not be considered by the Ex-Officio: Administration and Registration Officer until such outstanding fees are paid in full.
With the introduction of the added benefit – the SAIAT Professional Indemnity Scheme – in 2017, this meant that members will still enjoy the benefit of PI Insurance even if their fees are not paid as PI Certificates are issued by the service provider early in January of each year. Since 2023 this has become a problem as the Institute was not able to recover some membership fees and certain members could use the issued PII certificate as proof of insurance.
In 2024 the Institute introduced an Instalment Agreement to assist members in paying their annual fees. The purpose of this agreement was to allow members to pay their annual fees in instalments before the 31 January of the membership year. To assist members in arrears, and due to issues with the service provider delaying the implementation date of the DebiCheck debit order system in 2023, the number of instalments allowed were temporarily increased in 2024. This had a further negative impact on the predicted cashflow of the Institution.
Recommendation
The National Committee of Members therefore propose the following amendment to Clause 5.4.1.3 to
Prevent the service provider to issue PII certificates to members with outstanding membership fees on 01 January;
To streamline monthly cashflow predictions to ensure that the Institute can meet its financial obligations.
5.4.1.3 a) A member will cease to be in good standing with the Institute if membership fees are in arrears on 01 January, the start of the of the membership year, or, where an instalment agreement was entered into, less than 50% of the membership fees are paid by 01 January.
5.4.1.3 b) Where an application was received for membership during the membership year, the member will cease to be in good standing with the Institute if any fees are outstanding within a calendar month of letter of notification of membership, or where an instalment agreement was entered into, less than 50% of the membership fees are paid by the end of the second calendar month from the date of letter of notification of membership.
5.4.1.3 c) No application for resignation shall be considered by the Management Committee if a member is not in good standing with the Institute
5.4.1.3.d) If a member is not in good standing with the Institute, the Institute may start with leagl proceedings to recover any otstanding fees.
5.4.1.3 e) A member will be in good standing again with the Institute once all outstanding fees and other costs are paid in full.
As invoices were sent out in the past in October for the following membership year, to allow for the same period, invoices will be generated after the adoption of this amendment in September of the year prior to the membership year.
Members have a responsibility to partake in the affairs, activities, benefits, management, courses, meetings, and forums of the Institute at chapter, regional and national level. Your attendance of this Special General Meeting is therefore appreciated.
Please note that members attending this meeting will be able to claim a maximum of 0.1 Category 3(b) CPD points.
AGENDA
10:00 Opening and Welcome - Linke Strohmenger
10:05 Apologies - Linke Strohmenger
10:10 Purpose of meeting - Frans Dekker
10:15 Proposed amendtment of SAIAT Constitution - Frans Dekker
NOTICE OF A SPECIAL GENERAL
MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGISTS (NPC)
The National Committee of Members hereby give notice of an online
Special General Meeting of Members to be held on
24 August 2024 at 10:00
The meeting will be conducted using GoToWebinar.
Purpose
Since the end of the 2019 Covid Pandemic there has been a decline in revenue received from CPD events. The surplus income from CPD events has in the past greatly subsidised the Membership Fee income, resulting in a steady cashflow for the Institute, regardless of late payments of membership Fees. Unfortunately, this is not the case anymore.
Membership fees are invoiced annually by the Institute in October and needs to be paid by 31 December of the year preceding the membership year (01 January – 31 December)– that means that the 2025 fees need to be paid by 31 December 2024. A grace period was introduced years ago allowing members to pay their fees by latest 31 January of the membership year. If not done, a Member ceases then to be in good standing with the Institute and the Institute. The current Clause 5.4.1.3 reads as follow:
5.4.1.3 Where a member ceases to be in good standing with the Institute (fees are in arrears after 31 January of the financial year in which such application is received), the application for resignation shall not be considered by the Ex-Officio: Administration and Registration Officer until such outstanding fees are paid in full.
With the introduction of the added benefit – the SAIAT Professional Indemnity Scheme – in 2017, this meant that members will still enjoy the benefit of PI Insurance even if their fees are not paid as PI Certificates are issued by the service provider early in January of each year. Since 2023 this has become a problem as the Institute was not able to recover some membership fees and certain members could use the issued PII certificate as proof of insurance.
In 2024 the Institute introduced an Instalment Agreement to assist members in paying their annual fees. The purpose of this agreement was to allow members to pay their annual fees in instalments before the 31 January of the membership year. To assist members in arrears, and due to issues with the service provider delaying the implementation date of the DebiCheck debit order system in 2023, the number of instalments allowed were temporarily increased in 2024. This had a further negative impact on the predicted cashflow of the Institution.
Recommendation
The National Committee of Members therefore propose the following amendment to Clause 5.4.1.3 to
Prevent the service provider to issue PII certificates to members with outstanding membership fees on 01 January;
To streamline monthly cashflow predictions to ensure that the Institute can meet its financial obligations.
5.4.1.3 a) A member will cease to be in good standing with the Institute if membership fees are in arrears on 01 January, the start of the of the membership year, or, where an instalment agreement was entered into, less than 50% of the membership fees are paid by 01 January.
5.4.1.3 b) Where an application was received for membership during the membership year, the member will cease to be in good standing with the Institute if any fees are outstanding within a calendar month of letter of notification of membership, or where an instalment agreement was entered into, less than 50% of the membership fees are paid by the end of the second calendar month from the date of letter of notification of membership.
5.4.1.3 c) No application for resignation shall be considered by the Management Committee if a member is not in good standing with the Institute
5.4.1.3.d) If a member is not in good standing with the Institute, the Institute may start with leagl proceedings to recover any otstanding fees.
5.4.1.3 e) A member will be in good standing again with the Institute once all outstanding fees and other costs are paid in full.
As invoices were sent out in the past in October for the following membership year, to allow for the same period, invoices will be generated after the adoption of this amendment in September of the year prior to the membership year.
Members have a responsibility to partake in the affairs, activities, benefits, management, courses, meetings, and forums of the Institute at chapter, regional and national level. Your attendance of this Special General Meeting is therefore appreciated.
Please note that members attending this meeting will be able to claim a maximum of 0.1 Category 3(b) CPD points.
AGENDA
10:00 Opening and Welcome - Linke Strohmenger
10:05 Apologies - Linke Strohmenger
10:10 Purpose of meeting - Frans Dekker
10:15 Proposed amendtment of SAIAT Constitution - Frans Dekker
10:20 Discussion - Linke Strohmenger
10:30 Voting - Linke Strohmenger
10:35 Closing - Jannette Bronchi
Please forward Apologies via e-mail to linke@saiat.org.za
Registration (gotowebinar.com)